Choosing a Breast Cancer Surgeon Who Manages Post-Surgery Pain

She even tried blaming it on radiation. I had no increase in pain anywhere from radiation. I also didn't have any areas that feel different to palpation. I know radiation can change breast tissue or cause pain but I luckily didn't have that so far. I didn't appreciate her trying to blame it on radiation when they gave me the best care.

That is so horrible. I complained of pain right after surgery and one young nurse laughed and said you must have never had surgery. I wanted to say you e never had your breasts sliced off. One of my better doctors said if we would all call a mastectomy what is really is …. A breast AMPUTATION…. Then there would be more understanding! The phantom pain was awful. Find a pain management doctor! There’s no sense in this! Prayers for you!

Kathy, Thank you. It's so traumatizing...I've spent my life taking care of others in my job and in my volunteer work. I've had several surgeries and always done well. I was as prepared physically and emotionally as I could be. The hospital staff was amazing, the radiology staff awesome and my Physical therapists are genius. I just can't believe that both my surgeons treated me like pain after breast surgery doesn't exist. How can you be a breast surgeon and not understand that it is your responsibility to take care of the patient at least the first 6 weeks after surgery,possibly longer. Then if pain continues you should offer suggestions for pain relief, refer them to PT,pain specialist ,do something. I have always been the one to help others. This is the first time in my life I have asked others for help. She really upset me today,her lack of understanding is shocking. I definitely will never go back to her. I'm now wondering if she really did a good job in surgery for me....I should have went to New York or Texas.

I picked up my pain meds and nausea meds but I haven't had to take any pain meds other then Tylenol and Aleve.

In sorry you're having to go thru this.

Brandi, I'm so glad you are doing well. Such a blessing. I always felt so lucky that I had always recovered so quickly from other surgeries. Keep a pain pill in your purse just in case. Hugs

Double mastectomy back on August 6th plus sentinel lymph node biopsy of 3 nodes. The pain I believe will never go away. It’s like a part of me is just gone and just feels heavy to me. The nerve damage I think has been the worst part of it all. No meds just dealing daily.

Donna, There are surgeons who are starting to specialize in nerve repair. Look up Breastrelief.com. I was about to contact them. There are surgeons who take this serious and are learning ways to repair nerves to help. I'm sure it's not instant relief but keep fighting to get your life back. My surgeon acted like I should just sit in pain. I told her I am fighting to get my life back because I save lives for a living and if you as a cancer physician do not understand that you need to go back and read your oath.

I pray every day for each of you beautiful, strong ladies!

Hello cat : This is Haydee ,well let say . The same thing they told me but My Doc gave me Gabapantin for my Expander and then wend I had my silicon surgery they gave me Oxsicodon very low and just for one week . And yes they don’t recommend any Med , just I use is Tynanol pm to sleep better yes it dont work fast or good but it mainor the pain a little , buy remember some MED can compromise your treatment that you in . I had Covid whit my treatment , and I told that the Doctor will give me my medicine for it ,,but NOOO !! Suprise my primary doctor say : I can’t I have to ask your oncologist first . So my oncologist said No!! She have to have natural thing and rest and eat healthy and fluid ! That it and Tynanol . Because all med can interfere whit the chemotherapy . So sometime Doctor know . But if you don’t like the Oncologist you have te right to change and look for other opinion ::::: hope you get better .and remember we are here to help and care for each other we are warrior . We got this !!! Up the hand and Chen up !!!!

I haven't had surgery yet. I'm experiencing racing heart beat. Can't catch my breath. Dizzy, falling over. I was told to just to deal with it! This is normal!! I don't do anything to cause it! No strenuous activity. I even woke up, got out of bed and went over onto the floor. I need help and they won't! So frustrating!

I haven't had surgery yet. I'm experiencing racing heart beat. Can't catch my breath. Dizzy, falling over. I was told to just to deal with it! This is normal!! I don't do anything to cause it! No strenuous activity. I even woke up, got out of bed and went over onto the floor. I need help and they won't! So frustrating!

Unfortunately, because of the epidemic of drug abuse, the pendulum has swung the other way in the treatment of pain, and people who really need it, and are not addicts are refused the meds they need. I know personally what that is like. After I fractured my hip I was refused anything other than Tylenol or advil for a subsequent complication. Then after mastectomy given 7 OxyContin ( lowest dose) . Prescription said 1 four times a day as needed for pain. I couldn’t get a refill. It is barbaric to allow patients with severe pain to suffer. Yes monitor if you are concerned about abuse or habituation, but in the Dr’s oath it says “ primarily do no harm”. And it is harmful to deny pain relief. Sorry for your experience.

Diane P, please go to ER or cardiologist. It could be something wrong with your heart and if there is ,it needs checked before you have strong meds or anesthesia. It could also be stress but it truly needs checked out. Cut the caffeine out right away to. Get some labs....lots of things can cause this. Praying for you.

Diane P ,please make sure you get checked by an ER doctor or cardiologist.

Brandi k im going to try aleve bc the ib propane 800 is kicking my butt and tearing up my stomach lining. I've been taking it since December 12 which is the day I had my baby because I had a C-section and a tubulation at the same time and the pain was unbearable. My doctor has me on ibuprofen 800 and oxycodone 5 mg and it does help the pain but the ibuprofen 800 is tear my stomach up. I have stopped taking the ibuprofen as of today.

Thank you, Cat for your kind words. I never even had to open the pain pills. I found tht my surgeon found more cancer tissue when I had my double lumpectomy. So now I have to decide if I'm getting a masectomy or have my lymph nodes checked and more tissue taken out.

@Kiara I'm sorry you're going thru so much pain but congratulations on your baby

Cat, I am so sorry this is your experience with your oncologist. Surgeon, it's shameful. The pain we experience is unimaginable. We've been ripped open and body parts cut out, we've endured radiation, and had chemo therapy or endocrine suppressant therapy, you name it, and we've had it. Thèn there is pain, real pain. Those doctors don't want to be in charge of your pain medication. Here's what I did. I asked my doctor what do I do? He suggested that I get in touch with the palliative care team from the hospital. They're better than pain surgical doctors at managing your pain because they're not going to over medicate you, and you're not going to be sitting with a bunch of drug addicts in a pill mill. I go to monthly appointments at my pain management team, which happens to be at my hospital?. They assess what my current needs are, and we adjust medicines when needed. If medicines don't work for me or make me feel weird, we try something new. This has been my lifeline to feeling as normal as possible, especially since my cancer metastasised to stage IV of my bones, so it's very painful. Even without metastasis to another body part, the pain I had was real and intense after my double mastectomy and removal of the lymph nodes and 31 rounds of radiation. Every breast cancer patient needs help with pain medicine and proper management, and these are the people who can best help you. I hope your hospital has a palliative care medicine team that you can reach out to. I, too, am not an addict. I dont want to be treated like one and just want to be able to go about my day without curling up in a ball of pain. I pray this information can be of some help.

Jeanette, I will be praying for you. I went to acupuncture last week and this week. I wish I would have went before. It was helpful. I know people have different experiences with it. I'm very open to anything that might help. It was weird, after she had the first few inserted in my back,which I never felt them being inserted, I felt like this weird total relaxation. I guess that's what happens because she said,now you take a nap. So they leave them in and give you a little bell in case you need them but you fall asleep. I wasn't tired when I went in. Then when she did the front she asked where my pain was the worse and I did slightly feel the 3 that went into the most painful area,then I fell asleep again. This week when I went I barely felt the ones I did last week. I have made no other changes in my care,I have a better appetite and feel like more relaxed. It's definitely something that could help

Cat I am so happy for you

I can not believe doctors who refuse to help their patients. Give us a break she said that they do not provide meds there, but she surely could have written a prescription. I am having the same issues with my oncologist. Arrogant & refuses to treat me per monitoring without pushing surgery each time I see him. Have stage 1/11/111. They only talk about a masectomy. My anti-estrogen is shrinking the tumors, so give it some time to see how far it will shrink. Might in a bit later only need a lumpectomy. In any case I have several reasons why I can not jump into surgery with no requards toward my health conditions & past history of strokes from anesthesia. Just flippantly states that is not his field & refuses to find out for me per talking with the anesthesiologists department. Just do it & maybe it will not happen this time around. I have found several solutions to my problems with the image testing, treatments, & anesthesia, but refuses to find out if the hospital will order in these items. My body is highly susceptible to heavy metals. Can not have CT with contrast. Other metal allergies with breakouts. They were unconcerned about the MRI MultiHance contact dye. I ended up with multiple severe reactions to it. Went in to him in a few weeks for an appointment. When I asked him for help & started to tell him my symptoms from the dye only able to report symptom, he put up his hand in a stop motion 🤚retorting, “Stop right there! I have never heard of any side effects & I know nothing about the dye.” He provided me no help & could not care less that I was suffering. I will not have an MRI with that same dye ever again. No matter how much water I drank it would not to flush out of my system. Asked the oncologist if he can have the hospital order a different one. Just says it is not his responsibility, yet he is the one that orders these tests. So find out for me who is responsible; he should have better access to do that than I. Anyway we are all not cookie cutter people. We have different makeup’s & those doctors need to deal with our health issues. We do have a say in our care. Much more at stake than just the cancer when the treatments poision our bodies & affect our minds. All people get brain fog from anesthesia, it’s a matter of how severe. There is a treatment out there that eliminates the brain fog.

I am sorry to hear about the lack of concern your Surgeon has demonstrated. I have had a positive experience here in Florida. If you decide to come here I will share the name of my Surgeon and information.Just let me know. Paulette

Hi everyone I’m Rebecca and newly diagnosed no surgery until may 1st. I have ER+ Her2- in etc breast. My sister died last year from bc and I’ve opted for dbl mastectomy out of fear it will come back and I’d have to do this all over again or worse not make it through at all. I can have reconstructive surgery with nipple preservation too. My fear is am I overreacting by getting a dbl mastectomy? But only getting one done with reconstructive surgery wouldn’t it look lop sided ? God I don’t want any of it done. I don’t feel sick! It feels like I’m doing this and I don’t know why if I’m not sick or hurting! I’m sorry I’m whining everyone. I fell so damned confused about these decisions I’m told I have to make. I don’t want to make the wrong ones or wish I’d chosen a different path of surgery. I mean there are no take backs or do overs once they cut it off it’s gone! I’m so scared😞

Hi Rebecca. I’m sorry about your sister. Have you had genetic testing given your family history? It is a tough decision.